Roots like a bonsai
In the 1980’s Karate Kid, the Bonsai is an important symbol of balance. The Bonsai can be a fragile plant and without special care, dies quickly. One must find the perfect combination of water, nutrients, and sunligt to achieve balance in the care of these fragile plants. In the same way Daniel must find his balance socially and physically as he moves from New Jersey to California. Upon arriving in California Daniel’s life becomes unbalanced further by Johnny and the other members of Cobra-kai. The Cobra-Kai use their unbalanced karate to demonstrate their power over Daniel. Later, Daniel is able to use balanced karate to best them. As the movie moves along, through its movement and music it shows how Daniel is able
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to find his place in California and become balanced, and even how he grows, showing that he is able to put out roots, just like a bonsai. As Daniel first goes to Mr.
Miyagi to learn karate he preforms several tasks. In these tasks Daniel is required to paint the house going from left to right with long strokes, he does the same but up and down with the fence, and while waxing the cars and sanding the floors he uses one hand to go clock-wise while the other goes counter-clockwise. Once Daniel finished these tasks he feels as though Mr. Miyagi is just making him work. Mr. Miyagi shows him how much he’s learned by getting Daniel to repeat the moves he used while working. Mr. Miyagi throws jabs to demonstrate that each movement Daniel used working are the fundamentals of how to block. After learning how to block Mr. Miyagi takes Daniel out to the beach and has him stand in the ocean to work on his stance. As Daniel stands in the water he is bombarded by waves, and it is his goal to stand firm against them, much like the natural bonsais of china whom stand strong and resolute under any condition. To stand firm Daniel has to grow strong roots to withstand the waves power. Blocking and Daniels stance come full circle once its time to find his balance as Mr. Miyagi takes him out in the middle of a lake and gets him to balance on the bow of the boat. Mr. Miyagi says “if balance good karate is good.”, because all karate moves must be balanced and come from a balanced form, but be strong like the roots of a
bonsai. The music supports this theme of balance as Daniel first encounters Johnny. From the beginning of their first fight there is a low, almost in audible drumbeat with no higher notes to balance it. This low ominous beat can be attributed to the darkness and unbalance that plagues Daniel’s mind. As Daniel trains with Mr. Miyagi the music takes a more lighthearted form, almost like a contrast between good and evil. This lighthearted feel can be attributed to the balance that Daniel wishes to attain. In the final fights, the music is very balanced between high and low notes displaying Daniel’s balance. The tone shifts rapidly however as Daniel walks into the final fight with Johnny and the low notes return showing that fear and unbalance have reentered Daniels mind. This tone continues up until Daniel executes the crane kick to win the tournament. When his kick lands, the music regains its balance of low and high notes, and Daniel and Mr. Miyagi stand victorious over Cobra-Kai. From unbalanced to balanced, the music and movements of Karate Kid show that life cannot be lived in chaos, just as a Bonsai cannot live without careful attention. So if one can walk the straight and narrow and remain balanced, one can grow strong roots like a bonsai.
karate dojo in 1946, headed what became the most sizably voluminous international karate federation in history, and trained many of America's top karate competitors. He was by turns fatherly, arrogant, outgoing and secretive, and had associated himself at one time or another with virtually every consequential karate master in Japan. Corroborating sources for much of his personal history are fragmentary (as with much of the history of karate in general) and his daughter, Dr. Roberta Trias-Kelley, a superb martial artist to whom he bequeathed leadership of the system upon his death in 1989, perpetuates to edify Shuri-ryu karate and sell her father’s publications from her headquarters dojo, Trias Karate, in Phoenix, Arizona.
The film’s protagonist is Po, a panda that, from the beginning, does not appear to be capable of doing anything heroic. As in the hero myth outline stated by Leger, Po comes from a “mundane world, doing mundane things” (Seger 312). He works in his father’s noodle shop and although he admires those that practice Kung Fu, he does not have any martial arts training of his own. But Po is content with
The samurai are training on focusing on their zen garden. The knight battle on their horse into battle. Samurai they didn't trained the same way as the knight. Samurai learned how to shoot a bow at 3 years old. Knights learn watching the Knights train from as a 10 years old.
“To conquer frustration, one must remain intensely focused on the outcome, not the obstacles.” I still remember this quote from Within I Rise by T.F. Hodge because this specific quote has helped me through my long and winding journey toward the black-belt. It started with my friend in fifth grade showing me what he learned in karate class the day before, and me asking my mother if I could join. My brother and I went to our first class and I instantly fell in love with the sparring, grappling, fighting combinations, self-defense, and of course, learning to use nunchucks. It was not long before I had my eye on the black-belt, but there were many obstacles ahead. Less than one percent of all students at my karate school end up getting to
Kempo teaches self-defense. Self-defense is the defense of one's person or interests through the use of physical force. The art of Kempo is a process of learning a skill through repetition. As stated in the article written by Pamela Knudson, she states “Aug. 05--Watch Casey Mihalek lead the white-clad, barefoot members of his karate class at ATA Martial Arts in Grand Forks and you'll see a well-orchestrated training regimen with a purpose: self-defense infused with discipline and respect”(Knudson). When you learn techniques such as the kicks and blocks from an instructor you will need practice to build these skills and the more you practice Kempo the more it seem like second nature. As stated in the article written by Kristin E. Holmes, she states “Genell, 46, a safety director for a demolition company, operated a karate studio for seven years, but decided to focus on teaching adaptive martial arts after being inspired during a stint at a camp for children with disabilities”(Holmes). Once you have acquired these skills you no longer have to think about the techniques you will automatically react with self-defenses moves.
To a person not conversant with this art, Jujitsu may be considered as a foul or derogatory term in Japanese. However, Jujitsu us one of the most effective and deadly forms of martial arts taught today. Unique among other forms of combat, Jujitsu holds the position of a “parent art”, of from which other forms of martial arts such as Aikido, Judo and several Karate styles were extracted. Jujitsu is a combination of all levels of combat. It incorporates chokes, striking, grappling, nerve and pressure point attacks, joint locks, redirection of momentum and throws.
Children definitely gain more from their realizing their mistakes, than receiving underserved praise through a trophy. She contends that “we must focus on process and progress, not results and rewards.” “The Karate Kid,” a memorable film for generations, features various morals to kids all across the globe. Its story line casts an unskilled child, foreign to China, trying to learn the tedious technique of karate. Although he goes through pain and tremendous failure, he realizes his mistakes and learns through his defeat. With the help of his encouraging mentor, he masters karate with beautiful skill. Through his failure, he acknowledged his faults in order to surpass them. The material rewards were meaningless compared to his feeling of self-triumph. A child doesn’t “need manufactured praise” as a reward if their skill is already mastered. He doesn’t need to be given a trophy to know he succeeded; instead, his learned skill is worth more. The feeling of accomplishing and developing his abilities is far more impactful to a child “than any trophy” has to offer. Mathew, a joyful junior, was on the junior varsity basketball team. After several weeks of practice, he finally developed the skill to communicate with his team mates. He had always received meaningless trophies, but the feeling of mastering the skill himself was truly meaningful. His
When one gives in to acceptance and keeps an open mind, there is a certain fluidity to life. Li Mu Bai treated the trees as an extension of himself, working with the trees, not against them. Through this he was able to defeat Jen with ease, because he was using the trees he was essentially surrounding her. Li Mu Bai was able to do this because of his Confucius mindset of discipline and hard work, as well as his Daoist mindset of going with the flow. These together is what makes a truly great martial
Philosophy is one of the most important aspects of any traditional martial art. The philosophies of many martial arts such as Taekwondo, Kung Fu, and Karate are based off of Confucianism and principles from Confucius’s The Analects. Although traditional martial arts contain philosophical teachings, modern martial arts have lost their meaning, or “art.” The popularity of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) and Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) has contributed greatly to the loss of meaning in modern martial arts. By examining the philosophy’s importance in The Analects, one can see how martial arts is more than a physical set of skills.
Kung Fu Panda is a pristine example of the Hero’s Journey. As the viewer follows Po’s journey, it is very easy to identify each stage of the journey and see how these stages transform Po from a lazy slug into a ninja-like warrior, calling out his catch phrase “‘Skadoosh!’” as he demonstrates his supreme kung-fu abilities (Kung Fu Panda 2008). He gains self-confidence in his abilities, using his newly discovered inner strength to rise above his obstacles. However, the film’s ending is just the beginning for Po. He can now use his knowledge and his training to defend the Valley of Peace and all of China with the help of his now-comrades and greatest allies, the Furious Five and Master Shifu.
Jean-Claude Van Damme’s Kickboxer portrays the story of a kickboxer who learns Muay Thai because of a vendetta. The movie starts with Jean’s character- Kurt watching over his older brother as he wins the heavyweight title in kickboxing. After having won the title, his brother yearns for more recognition which leads him to join a competition in Thailand. Upon arrival, the brothers are quickly faced with the fact that they aren’t facing their routine kickboxing partners but rather the Martial art of the area that is Muay Thai. Kurt’s older brother steps into the ring against a contender by the name Tong Po, who is named the champion of Thailand. The fight ends abruptly, after the brother
Upon first moving to America, he taught dance and martial arts to help bring a steady cash flow. Dance did not simply provide a paycheck for Bruce, but it also helped to make his fighting style more original. With that, he was able to create his own fighting style known as Jeet Kune Do, this was a modified version of Wing Chun that included other techniques like fencing and Kung Fu. Bruce Lee said, Jeet Kune Do was mainly focused on ways to avoid a hit. This was revolutionary in the fighting world and on screen.
A popular ancient Japanese saying states that “The sword is the soul of the warrior.” (Buchanan 120) The warrior in the proverb pertains to the samurai of feudal Japan and the sword refers to their most prominent weapon, the Katana. An ancient blade made through a complicated forging process, the Katana is truly a work of art. Also known as the Japanese long sword or the samurai sword, the Katana is a curved, single-edged blade with ridges along its exterior. It is primarily used as a weapon to cut down or slash its foes (Robinson 28). The ridges along the blade, called the hamon, divides the soft metal components, the shingane, from the hadagane of the hard metal components used to forge the sword to give it its trademark razor sharp edge and flexibility (Turnbull 12). The blade of the Katana is around sixty to seventy centimeters in length and is often likened to the arc of the new moon. With its signature curved edge and its fusion of hard and soft metals, the Katana is considered to be the greatest offensive weapon ever created (O’Neill 114,116). It is a hallmark of Japanese sword history and is a noteworthy aspect of Japanese craftsmanship. The Japanese Katana is an important symbol of Japanese culture whose significance must be asserted.
It rises even more when you start to successfully spar and win against people. Discipline comes from listening to your instructor. Asking questions such as “Do I face my fist this way or that”, questions like these are what you should listen to. By listening to and doing what your sensei says you will learn discipline. Integrity comes from showing up every day and doing your best, even win your instructor is helping someone else. Honesty comes with this as well, when you admit your mistakes on the exercise it helps you know that honesty is right. Enlightenment comes from knowing there is a higher power and following the Way. Timing is a skill that takes both mental and physical disipline. You must learn to read your opponent’ rhythm and use a rhythm they don’t expect to get in them in your critical distance line and
Karate taught me the importance of being dependable. My classmates depended on me to show up time. If someone was late we were all required to do pushups. For example, I was late to class once, and because of that everyone had to do forty pushups. Making everyone do forty pushups is a quick way to make enemies, so I did not want to be late again. Similarly, it taught me to always try my best. If I, or anyone in class, was caught slacking everyone was required to do pushup. Furthermore, I learned to do